Cold storage locker room



July 11, 1939. R. w. SMITH 7 COLD' STORAGE LOCKER KOO Filed Ji11y28, 1938 2 Sheets-Shae: 1

In. u H r "W m E E! @El Elli Ely-1 Patented July '11, 19*

UNITED STATES- masses gastric com aromas r.oc'rmn ir.oosr

BoyW. smith. Newark. om v Application July 2a.. mesa-n1 at. 221369 I 1 i som a mJez- -sa) My invention relates to a seam room. It haste do, more particularly,-with the arrangement of lockers Recently the asset individual in cold storage plantsfhas become'guite' of the e time have,coldstorage rooms v rality' of individual lockers-are ex mpl t farmers or ,7

ing the locker lar e u ntities at slower price and store food withdrawing small amounts from the locker as needed. Heretofore, it has thing from his locker or "place something to go into the cold storage room where the lockefs are disposed. The temperature in these cold storage rooms is usually about zero and, obviously, this extremely low temperature is very uncomfortable to the individual and might be harmful to him. 7

1n the past, thelockers have been arranged in rows in the cold storage roomwith aisles therebetweem Thus. it is not only necessary to refrigerate the space actually occupied by the .coldstorage lockers but it is also necessary to refrigerate. the aisles the-lockerswhiehare provided so that access can be had to'the lockers. Of course, the net operating cost ofthe coldstorageroom increases with the increase in 813306 116-.

in accordance quired tofbe refrigerated in proportion to the space M occupied by the lockers and is rented to the individuals. 'Obviously it be desirable to refrigerate only the space actual 1y occupied bythelockers.-

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a cold storage locker room such a nature that access may be had to individual lockers without going into the refrigerated space actually occupied by the lockers.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cold storage locker room arrangement which is ofsuchanamrc that itisnecessarytoretrigeratesubstantiallyonlytheactualspaceoccupied by the be had tothe lockers.

In its preferred form my plates the provision oia building structure having a novel arrangement whereby the aboveindicatedobiecttare accomplishetL' 'lhisbuildms cold'storage roomg 3 the lockers heing'adapted receiveuperishable other perishable'products. y. 1 V

his'iockerf' i been necessary. for, an individual when he desires to remove some-' and other spaces around arrangement of invention showing ahoist ins wer lock thelower chamber upsuitable guides and may a suitable hoist disposedin the upper room,

Thus; it will be apparent that a person desiring to gain access to his individual locker, need only go into the upper room which is at ordinary room temperature or a moderate temperature and his locker may be raised easily and quickly into the upper room where he may remove articles therefrom or place articles therein. After he is finished with his locker, it may be quickly and easily lowered into the refrigerated locker chamber and the cooperating door or lid maybe closed over the'locker in order to close seal the locker chamber.

' in characters of reference designate corrspcnding parts and wherein: a

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion'of a building structure showing the preferred arrangement of the lockers.

T Figure 2 V is a horizontal section through a building which may be provided with my locker room arrangement.

Figure 31s a vertical section'through a portion or the locker chamber taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail mainly in section showing the upper endot a locker and showing the space throughwhiehitmayberaisedandthe'lidor door for closing and sealing said space.

Figure 5 is a more or less diagrammatic view which may be used in raising the locn'ers andshowing means for controlling o v w structure is preferably provided with ailarge room'which is divided into a lower locker chamh x-2 lns a v rr mo h m e Th a pted to o A hamber andjismade-upnmainl'y or- .a jplural-ityIot E'docrsior-Jids which may? be opened-individually in order to permitrai'sing of individual lockers from wardly' into the upper lockers are disposed in be moved. vertically by means of embodiment of my invention is p for cutting meats'to be placedin the lockers or trated in Figure 2 a. building structure l.in which my cold storage locker room arrangement may be incorporated. The building may include aroomlwhichmaybeusedasacuttingroom may be used for other purposes. It. also includes aroomiwhichmaybeusedas-achillroom in which the food products to be placed in the lockers .may be first chilled slightly. The building is further provided with a large room is whichmay be arranged according to my invention.

Asindicatedinl 'igurelthelargeroomlais divided into a lower locker chamber 4 and an upper room or chamber I. The room 4 is adapted to contain a plurality of ventilated lockers oandisadaptedtoberefrigeratedtoalowtemperature while the upper room or chamber I is adapted to be substantially empty until the lockers are raised thereinto, in a manner to be explained hereinafter.

Theiockerchamberlhasallofitswallsfully insulated. Each wall embodies an inner slab I and an outer slab l of concrete or other suitable material having the space therebetween filled with cork s or other suitable heat-insulating material. A large number of the lockers I are disposedinthischamber. -Eachofthelockersl extends from the, bottom of the chamber I substantially to the top thereof. Furthermore, each locker may embody a plurality of horizontally spaced locker spaces, access to which may be gained by means of doors II. The lockers are arranged in the chamber l inrows whichare slightly spaced from each other. The spaces be tween the rows 01' lockers have pipes ll extending therethrough which are adapted to carry a suitable refrigerant. These pipes II are supported by vertically disposed bars I! which have their lower ends attached to wooden planks Is 7 mounted on the floor of the chamber 4.

The upper ends of the bars or supports l2.

carry longitudinally extending wood beams it. Obviously, the bars I! are at spaced intervals in a row and each row supports a beam M. The beams it are continuous from one wall of the building to theother. A plurality of transversely disposed short beams II are provided at longitudinally spaced intervals along the beams it. Thus, it will be apparent that the beams I4 and the beams ll cooperate to form a plurality of substantially square spaces ll throughwhich thelockersmayberaisedinto thechamberl. Thesebeamsalsoservetosupport a horizontally disposed floor or wall which will divide the upper chamber 5, from the lower chamber 4. A lid or door I1 is provided for closing and sealing each of the spaces It. This lid or door may be made of wood and preferably has layers II and II of insulating material on the upper and lower surfaces thereof. I preferably arrange the doors I I in pairs, the two adjacent lids being hinged together as indicated at 2.. These lids or doors rest on rubber strips 2lsecuredtothetopedgesofthebeams II and iiinordertoobtainatightseal.

The lockers I are preferably made of heavyofwhichbearagaimtthesidesurfacesofthe lockers 8. Similar strips are provided on the beamsll. Thus,theseweatherstripswillserve tosealthespacesbetweenthesidewallsofthe v moans With reference to the drawings I-have illussealed by the weather strips 22. tially all the cold air will be retained chamber 4. Furthermore, since the'chamber l isdisposedbelowthedaamberltherewlll no danger of any appreciable amount of cold air escaping upwardly because the cold air will to settle downwardly. If desired, a narrow chamberlbyaninsulatedwallnicmberl The temperature in the chamber 23 is adapted lower than the temperature in the chamber Forthis leagreaterlength of pipe ll percubic foot ofspacein thecbamber 28 msybeprovided than in thechamber ment upwardly through the spaces ll. be apparent that thelongitudinally exten beams" l4 and the transversely extending beams during raising and lowering thereof.

It will be apparent that the lids I! will serve to form the floor of the chamber 5. These lids are all disposed substantially contiguous with each other. When it is desired to raise a locker into the chamber}, the lid above said locker may be swung to one side exposing the upper end of the locker. Each locker and rack is provided with a pair of hooks 21 on its upper end which may be engaged by hoisting mechanism so that the locker or rack may be raised.

In Figure l, I show hoisting mechanism of a type which I preferably employ. This mechanism may take the form of a transversely extending I-beam II which has rollers II on its opposite ends which operate on longitudinally extending beams ll secured to the side walls of the chamber I adjacent the ceiling thereof. The beam 2| carries a hoist 3| which is mounted on rollers 32 for movement therealong. The hoist 3| may be an electric hoist of a suitable type embodying a drum a driven by means of an electric motor 34. The drum 33 is rotatably mounted by being keyed to a shaft Ii which is rotatably disposed in bearings secured in supports 3 which carry the rollers 32 at their upper ends. A cable 31 has its upper end attached to the drum 33. Its lower end is secured to a chain 38 which has its ends fastened to a lifting bar ll thatisadaptedtobepassedbeneaththepair of hooks 21 on the locker.

The shaft II upon which the drum 33 is mounted is extended and is threaded as indicated at II. This threaded portion of the shaft passes through a threaded opening in the lower portion of the will serve as guides for the lockers and racks member-ll; The upper end of themember ll has a 9,185,518 "an angular opening through which an angular are connected series with the reversible electric 1 willbemovedby-thr unuiii contacts the switch 45. At this time the motor ll, witht-a magnetic switch a, and with manually operable master or starting switches '46. By actuating one" i thejswi hfi 4 6, themoe the drum will be the "locker and the member. ti

direction to I eased-portion u to the right current toth'e moto will be shut oi! inasmuch as the locker-i be at the proper level so that be had thereto. However, the lower locker will still be within the guides end :of

' tormed by members and. Ii. lower the of-the to bemov'emto-cthelleft til it-strikes theswitch. flwhich perineum it when-the'loclrer i andagainiwhenj: it.;been returned to .itslowermostlposi The person entering the room. or

locker, theother switchl! is actuated'completing the circuit' 'toi the motor-and reversing rotation This wlll'icause the, member ll ibre'akgthe cireui't torthe motor. ,At e locker-st bc atl'its, lowermost onythei bottomof the chamber hutometic'ally stopped to the proper tionn; n1 be apparent the above descrip i 7 that I haveiprovidedia' coldstorage locker room arrangement having many advantages. when a person desires to ain, to his individual locker. he merely walks into the chamber or room 5 whichwill be at ordinary room temperaturev and which may be air-conditioned for comfort.

walk on the floor formed by the lids II. The lids may be numbered or provided with other indlcia and the lid over his particular locker may .be swung open. Then the hoist may be moved to a position over the locker, attached to the locker, and the locker may be raised, as indicated in Figure 1. As previously stated, even when the Thus, a person placing things in his locker or removing them therefrom need not be subjected to the uncomfortable and harmful extreme cold in the chamber 4. As soon as the person is flnished with his locker, it may be lowered into the chamber l and the lid l'l replaced. It will be apparent that comparatively small spaces are provided between the various lockers. Thus, a minimum amount of space need: be refrigerated.

In practice, if food is to be placed in the locker i, it is first placed in baskets 2! which are then placed on the racks 25, the racks being then loweredinto the quick-freezing chamber 23. After they are tromen therein, they are removed and placed in the lockers 6.

In the following claims where I refer to lockers itistnbeunderstood thatl'alsointendtocover Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the preceding description, the drawings and the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I 5 claim is:

as is rotated in the proper will.

into a lower locker chamber and an upper room or chamber into which individual lockers may be raised" for access thereto, said lower chamber said upper' chamber, means'for raising and lowering individual-1 lockers through said spaces, and means for sealing each of said spaces regardless ign'gie'zposition otthe locker cooperating there- 2; In arbuilding structure, a room, said room being "divided by a Y horizontally disposed partition into a lower locker chamber. and an upper room or chamber intowhich individual lockers may be raised for access thereto, said lower.

chamber being insulated, refrigerating means for bringing said lower chamber to a lowtemperature, said horizontally disposed partition serving to insulate said'upperchamber and said lower chamber. from each other, a plurality of lockers normally ,disposed in said lower chamber, said partition being provided with a space above each locker through which the locker may pass, the crosa section'al area oi saldspace and said locker being substantially the same, a plurality of members'other than the. lockers for closing said spaces and for forming the floor of said upper chamber,

and means for raising and lowering individual lockers through said spaces.

,3. In a building structure, a room, said room being divided by a horizontally disposed partition into a lower locker chamber and an upper vroom or chamber into which individual lockers may be raised for access thereto, said lower chamber being insulated, refrigerating means for bringing said lower chamber to a low temperature, said horizontally disposed partition serving to insulate said upper chamber and said lower chamber from each other, a plurality of lockers normally disposed in said lower chamber, said partition being formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending beams and transversely extending beams forming rectangular openings corresponding substantially in shape and area to the cross sectional shape and area of said lockers. the lockers being adapted to pass through said openings, a pluralityoi lids resting on said beams for closing, said spaces and for forming the floor of said upperchamber, and means for raising and lowering individual lockers through said spaces. 7

4. In a building structure, a room, said room being divided by a horizontally disposed partition into a lower locker chamber and an upper room or chamber into which individual lockers may be raised for access thereto, said lower chamher being insulated, refrigerating means disposed in said lower chamber for bringing it to a low temperature, said horizontally disposed partition serving to insulate said upper chamber and said lower chamber from each other, a plurality of lockers normally disposed in said lower chamber, said partition b eing provided with a space above each locker through which the locker may pass,

of lids for closing saidspaces and for forming the floor of said upper chamber, a hoist disposed in said upper chamber for raising and lowering individual lockers through said spaces. and means for limiting the uppermost position of the individual lockers so that when'each locker reaches its uppermost'position it into the space with which it is associated.

5.Ina.buildlnstructure,amom,saidroom.

being divided, by a horizontally disposed partition into a lower locker chamber and an upper room or chamber intowhich individual lockers may be raised for access thereto. said lower chamher being insulated, refrigerating means disposed in said lower chamber for bringing it to a low temperature, said horizontally isposed partition serving to insulate said upper chamber and said lower chamber from each other, a plurality oi lockers normally disposed in said lower chamber. 

